OREGON ZOO NEWS
Zoo TO UP PRICE IN POPULAR ‘SECOND TUESDAY’ DISCOUNT PROGRAM
Budget pressures lead zoo to raise reduced-admission price from $2 to $4
PORTLAND, Ore. ––
Beginning July 13, the admission price for the Oregon Zoo’s popular
Second Tuesday discount program will go from $2 to $4. Children 2 and under
will continue to be admitted free.
The zoo began its
reduced-admission program in 2004, offering discounted tickets on the second
Tuesday of each month. The nominal increase will help relieve budgetary
pressures brought about by a slow economy. The zoo continues to welcome record
numbers of visitors, officials say, but guests have not been spending as much
as they have in previous years.
The Second Tuesday program
aims to make the zoo accessible to as many people as possible, zoo officials
say. “We remain committed to
providing a reduced admission program,” said Kim Smith, Oregon Zoo
director. “Unfortunately, the economic times we live in are having an
unprecedented impact on our budget. We are dedicated to providing excellent
animal care and continually seek ways to improve our guests’
experience.”
Smith encourages visitors to
use public transportation on Second Tuesday and thereby take advantage of the
zoo’s additional discount program. “We want to encourage
environmental stewardship by getting people out of their cars,” Smith
said. “And if people take a TriMet bus or MAX to the zoo, they can take
an additional $1.50 off their $4 admission. Getting into the zoo for $2.50,
while helping the environment is a win-win.”
Other zoo values that are not
limited to the second Tuesday of each month include a 20 percent discount on
admission and train rates for any group of 20 or more paying visitors, when one
payment is made for the entire purchase. School group rates, with advance
reservations, are available for $3 per student. Zoo membership rates begin at
$49, which includes unlimited year-round admission. The zoo’s Second
Tuesday program is supported by The Standard. The zoo is a service of Metro
and is dedicated to its mission of inspiring the community to create a better future
for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save
endangered California condors, Washington’s pygmy rabbits, Oregon
silverspot and Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies, western pond turtles,
Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid’s lupine. Other projects include studies
on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats. The zoo opens at 8 a.m. daily
and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The
zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Visitors who travel to the zoo
via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service,
503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.
General admission is $10.50
(ages 12-64), $9 for seniors (65 and up), $7.50 for children (ages 3-11) and
free for those 2 and younger; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund
regional conservation projects through the zoo’s Future for Wildlife
program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information
is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by
calling 503-226-1561.
Tasul the polar bear jumps after a ball at the Oregon
Zoo. Beginning July 13, the zoo’s Second Tuesday discount program price
will go from $2 to $4. Photo by Deidre Lantz, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.
Oregon Zoo ¨ 4001 SW Canyon Rd. ¨
Portland, Oregon 97221 ¨ 503-226-1561 ¨www.oregonzoo.org
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